Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 10

Today was not much fun for the boys apparently. I had a MOPS Steering Committee meeting so they ahd to hang out in the MOPS Leader's backyard with the other kids.

Tonight is movie night so at least that will be fun...I hope!

Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 9

I took the kids to the park today for Stitch N'Bitch (they played while I stitched). They are getting bored with it, I am afraid. It is the same park they play everyday during the school year. So, next week we will go to another park that is not too far away but is a change of scenery for them.

We are starting to play out our 4th of July party. Looks like we'll have 4 families here so lots of chaos and fun. Next up is a trip to Costco for supplies.

I read an article today about a boy who had a peanut butter sandwich thrown at him by a kid in his school and he went into anaphylaxis. OMG, it made my stomach turn. I pray that Jax never deals with situations like that. Here is the article if anyone is interested in reading it: A lunchbox killer

Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 8

Dex was invited to a playdate today so I dropped him off and he said he was nervous about going inside because they have a cat. Playmate's mom said there was nothing to be afraid of so off he went inside. Playmate's mom asked me to pick him up at 3pm. At 12:58, I received a call from her saying that he wanted to go home. I packed up all of the kids and went to pick him up. He had been crying and just kept saying he wanted to go home and that he didn't want to talk. Playmate's mom said "He was fine until I made pb&j sandwiches for lunch. He said he doesn't eat pb so I offered to make him a jelly sandwich but he said he would not eat". Then, just as we were to get into the car, she said "I guess there was something to be afraid of after all". Huh? Not sure if she was joking or not. I really do not know her ~that~ well.

Of course I realized that it was pb that had upset Dex but I wanted him to tell me. I asked him why he was so upset. He told me that he was afraid the pb at Playmate's house would make Jax ill and make him die.

[hanging head] Shit. I have made my six year old frightened of pb. I again reiterated to him that if he ever ate pb or peanuts, he must then carefully and thoroughly wash his hands and face so Jax would be safe. I thought he understood that but evidently he did not. I need to make sure that he understands what can and cannot hurt Jax.

In the meantime, we definitely need to reconsider playdates away from home.

Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 7

We went to the beach today. It was a glorious day, hot but not unbearable. The lake wasn't too cold. The kids had a blast. Jax and Dex spent nearly 2 full hours digging a huge hole. Not sure why they wanted to do it but it kept them busy. Cars would not wear a hat which completely irked me though.

I am off shortly to drop the kids off with Stephen at the club for more swimming while I work out.

Edited later to add that I did not apply sunscreen evenly on Declan's shoulders and he is burned! OMG I feel so horrible. I have a burn too on my back/shoulders but it is splotchy. That's what I get for assuming that an 8 year old could apply the spray-on sunscreen evenly. :\

Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 6

Thanks for weighing in on the colour choice for our house paint. Stephen has decided that the Olive is "less puky" so looks like we will go with that.

Today, Jax and Dex went to their golf lessons at the course. Cars and I came home and did the Hokey Pokey and read Head to Toe by Eric Carle - about 7 times each!

It was a scorcher of a day so when I picked Jax and Dex up they were all hot, grimy and sweaty. Then they spent 40 minutes on the slip'n'slide and in the little kiddie pool. Tomorrow, we are braving the beach (I hope the hot temperatures we have had the last two days have warmed up the lake!).

It's Not Easy Being Green

So, remember how I said I had picked out a paint colour for our house? Well, I bought a sample of it from Benjamin Moore and slapped it up on the side of the house. Ooops - definitely not the right colour. So I ran back to the store and bought two more sample colours. Again, they were not what I was looking for. I went back today and purchased another sample and then a quart of another colour (they did not have the samples in that colour). The last two colours are the ones I like the best.



Now, do I go with Tate Olive or Wethersfield Moss?!
(Ignore that image of me reflected in the glass)

Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 5

Ok, we made it through week 1. Today, Nanny came and watched the kids while I worked out and went shopping for groceries and to Sears for a fridge water filter. While I was gone, the kids broke the toilet seat lid and the screen door on the new patio door. Was Nanny even watching them?! Geez!

Jean-Paul and Marilyn are due to arrive in a couple of hours. They are just staying overnight but will arrive with our stash of Smarties, Canadian Cheez Whiz and Tetley Tea.

Here is an article about a promising treatment available at Duke University for peanut allergies: Can Deadly Peanut Allergies Be Cured?

Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 4

This morning we went to the park and met fellow Stitch N'Bitchers and their kids. I was going to hold it at my house but then I realized that everyone would have their school-aged kids with them along with the toddlers so our group of 7 kids would balloon to 14 or 15. So off to the park we went. It was a little cool but the sun was shining and the kids had a great time.

Now it is movie time (Ice Age) and I am doing laundry (it cannot all be Fun).

Here is a picture of the boys in their tie dyed shirts. Dex was less than thrilled that I wanted to take his picture rather than feed him since he was "starving!".

Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 3

Yesterday we tie-dyed t-shirts. Cars would have none of it so I did his. Jax did not put enough dye on it but he likes the shirt. Dex did it but I think he really could not care less about it. We did have fun though.

Today was just a hang-out day (it is cool and overcast) then we went to Costco this afternoon. Oh, we did stop at Big 5 to buy a slip'n'slide in the event that we actually get some hot weather this summer. Good thing I spent that money on new windows that we have not had to open. *sigh*

Summer O'Fun 2006 Day 1

Today was the first day of summer. I registered Jax and Dex in a local youth golf program. They attend every Monday from 10:30-2:30 for golf instruction and lunch. Today, I hung out there the whole time to ensure that lunch was peanut-free (there were candy bars with peanuts available for purchase but no included in the lunch provided). I had Jax carry his Epi Pen from his golf bag to lunch and back.

The kids had a good time. Dex started spouting out all of the golf rules he learned today, especially the etiquitte about the golf green. Seems they teach them early to ensure the greens do not get chewed up! lol Anyway, this will be a great program for them for the summer.

The rest of this week will be filled up with Tye Die (tomorrow), swimming at the club (Wed) and Stitch N'Bitch (fun for me, not necessarily for them, on Thursday morning).

My New Motto

Father's Day

Today for Father's Day, we just hung out in the yard, planting flowers in planters on the deck. The kids played and the sun actually came out for a few minutes. We are having steak, potatoes and mushrooms for dinner (some other veggie or two thrown in there).

Seven years ago today (well, on Father's Day - the actual date is 6/20), my dad passed away. I always miss him so much at this time of the year. I haven't called my mom today as I usually do because she is in Minnesota visiting for my brother's family (it is Melissa's high school graduation party today). I will give her a call on Tuesday when she is home.

We are planning to have the outside of our house painted this summer. Stephen does not want to do it so we are hiring our neighbour to do it (he is a house painter) however, he is very busy refurbishing a yacht (his other job) so he is not sure when he will get to it. Also, the colour I had picked out - saybrook sage (you can find a sample here - about 1/2 way down, right about in the middle of the page) - is too light, according to Stephen. So, I am not sure if I should just go ahead with it or check out another colour. Hmmm... We also need some wood trim replaced on the house but again, Stephen does not want to do it so I will have to hire someone to do it. I guess I will call Handyman tomorrow to see if he is interested in doing it.

One small step...

Remember last June at Dex's preschool's End-of-Year Carnival? Where the cake walk consisted of tons'o'peanut cookies/candy bars and other treats at the "Peanut and Nut-Free School"? Well, this year, they send out note after note reminding people to keep all items for the cake-walk nut/peanut-free. The note even said "We will only accept items that are nut/peanut-free". I know this because Kins goes there and Ash told me. She said that after the f-up last year, the owners of the preschool were very careful at this year's carnival. I like to think that I had something to do with them making certain to keep it peanut/nut-free this year. :)

I had a migraine last night so I went to bed at 5:30pm. Woke up at 9:30 then I was awake until after 3AM! I was then up at 6:30 to go to the club to work out with Terry. So, I am looking forward to having a nap later this afternoon.

School's Out!

Jax's last day of school was today. They got out at 11:30am. Because of the half-day schedule, Dex's last day was yesterday (no P.M. kindergarten). I am so very glad the year is behind us.

Their report cards were good (nothing stellar though). At least Jax improved in the "speaking in a respectful manner" to the teachers. Yikes, that was embarrassing last term. Dex's comments said he was a funny kid but doesn't know when to stop when he is on a roll. Oh dear.

Jax's teacher told me today that there was a meeting with the guidance counsellor about Jax and a 504 plan. It was agreed by the teachers that it was a good thing to have in place so hopefully that will make things go smoother at the beginning of the next school year.

We are still waiting for the summer-like weather to reappear after its brief visit in May. So, no summer activities yet. So, for the rest of the day I plan on taking a nap and letting the kids play Nintendo.

What's the Frequency Kenneth?

Can you hear this?

It is a high-pitched noise that apparently people over a certain age cannot hear because they have lost the ability to hear some high frequency sounds. Teenagers are downloading the sound to use as a ring-tone for their cell phones. That way, they can receive calls/text messages at school because their teachers cannot hear the sound. To read more about it, click here.

I cannot hear it but my kids can (Dex started to cry when I played it again and again because I was "torturing" him!). Can you hear it?

The Final Stretch

This is last week of school! I cannot wait. I just need to get the kids through this week then I don't want to think about anything for at least a week.

The potluck went well yesterday. I showed up and asked to see the ingredients of food as people brought it in. There was nothing there with peanuts on the labels and while there were some home-baked goods, nothing with peanuts. I did tell Jax to avoid any home-baked goods. There was also a kid in one of the other classes who did not want a hot dog but had brought a pb sandwich from home. He was instructed to eat in his classroom. Of course I had no problem with that because it would be like a normal day.

Thanks for all of your comments of support. I am happy to know that I have helped raise awareness of food allergies, specifically peanut allergies.

Dear Readers

Sorry for my outburst. I know that some of you do not like to read profanity so I would like to apologize for that.

I am continually amazed at people's ignorance and inconsiderate behaviour towards food allergies. I do know that if I did not have a child with a food allergy (nevermind two children!), I would not be as well versed to what they can or cannot have or about cross-contamination issues. However, I know I would definitely have compassion for them. Imagine how carefully they have to live their life, knowing that just one bite could kill them. The trust that they need to have before taking just one bite. Trust that the labels on food are correct. Trust that someone did not forget to mention that the item to which they are allergic is not present in their food. Trust that the person who is shaking their hand did not have that allergen on them. And think of the trust that a child must have. A child who, although he can now read, must still look to others for reassurance that a food offered to them is safe for them to eat.

This past week has been a disappointment for us in this way. The classroom function with the peanut butter cookies, the lack of warning about peanuts on the notice about the luncheon today, that hag with her precious peanut dessert...all reinforces just how much we have to fight for Jax every.single.day. It is exhausting. It is frustrating.

But there are some triumphs.

I was speaking to the school psychologist the other day in my pursuit to get a 504 Plan* in place for Jax for the next school year. She told me that Jax was a great advocate for himself and gave me an example of when he had asked that a certain food item be removed from a Leadership class because he suspected it had peanuts. Another triumph was when an acquaintance told a certain hag that just being around peanuts could possibly kill him. And when Dex told me that he will never eat peanuts, even when he is a man, because he doesn't want to ever put Jax in any harm.

So, off to battle another day in our small, personal war on peanuts. And hope that there are no casualties along the way.


* Section 504

No otherwise qualified individual with a disability...shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

Section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973

Section 504 is a civil rights law. To meet the criteria for Section 504 protections, a child must...
- have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
- have a record of such impairment, or
- be regarded as having such an impairment.
Under Section 504, a plan may be developed to assist students with disabilities that require accommodations in order to access the general education program.

What is a Major Life Activity?

Major life activities include: walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks.

Open Letter to Mom of other Second Grader

Dear Mom of other Second Grader

Your panties are in a wad because the teachers asked that no peanuts or peanut butter be served at the Second Grade lunch tomorrow so you cannot send in your special dessert. Boo-effing-hoo. And saying "That kid should just bring in his own food" when you were referring to my son with the life-threatening peanut allergy just shows how ignorant you are. It is not that he might just EAT something with peanuts or peanut-butter, rather, he can react to just being around it.

It was not my idea nor his to have this frigging potluck lunch with all 80+ Second Graders. In fact, I would prefer if they did not have it because of stupid bitches like you. However, it is a school function during school hours so my son has as much right to be there are your child. And he has the right to not be exposed to something that could potentially kill him, or, at the very least, make him extremely ill.

So f* you and your "that kid" attitude. Seriously. F* you.

Regards,
Pez

First Holy Communion

Today was Jax's First Communion. I am so proud of him for all of the hard work he put into learning everything he needed to do for today. They had the kids all line up and then proceed in before the procession. The kids then joined their families throughout the church and went up for communion with the congregation rather than separately as some other churches do it.

Afterwards, my MIL took us all out to brunch (she is visiting BTW but that is a whole other story...).

Here are some photos. Click for larger views if you wish.

Jax before Mass.



Pez Family photo before we left.



Kids after we went to brunch.

Today was Dex's last baseball game. Thank goodness that is over. Now we just need to finish up Jax's next Saturday. I am so going to look forward to not spending Saturday at dinner time at the ball park! The season was so long!

Tomorrow is Jax's First Communion. I am so excited for him. We made a f e l t b an ner to hang over the edge of the pew that we will sit in tomorrow. He is happy to be able to partake in communion. Dex is more than a little jealous that he cannot do it yet.

This morning I got up early to work out at the club. Turns out they do not open until 7am so I spent 20 minutes in the parking lot listening to NPR. Anyway, then I had an awesome workout today. I am starting to feel strong and my legs are less flabby. My arms are getting toned too which is nice. Now why won't the big belly disappear?!

Meme

I was tagged by Ramona so here goes!

5 Items in my Fridge
* four ears of corn
* perfectly ripe cantaloupe
* opened can of Pillsbury icing
* "Cars" yogurt (soy yogurt)
* lunch meat (ham and turkey)

5 Items in my Closet
* filing cabinet (yes!)
* old computer
* tons'o'out-of-style clothes
* blanket
* long, purple wool skirt that I bought in 1989 but I love too much to part with (even though it is about 3 sizes too small!)

5 Items in my Car
* car seat
* hands-free adapter for cell phone
* several open bottles of water
* doctor's office stickers stuck to the doors of the car
* broken sunglasses (I sat on them!)

5 Items in my Purse
* cell phone
* wallet
* referral for CT scan
* Safeway receipt
* Epi Pen (actually attached to the handles of the purse in a medical pack)

Six!

Yesterday was Dex's 6th birthday. Six is huge! On his birthday he tied his shoes for the first time! It was like he decided he was finally old enough to try and he just did it. What a terrific kid!